New Delhi [India] : Indian spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin hailed compatriot and U19 captain Uday Saharan for his composure during the ICC U19 World Cup ahead of the title clash against Australia taking place on Sunday.
India is taking on Australia in the title clash of the U19 World Cup in Benoni. This is India’s fifth successive U19 World Cup final appearance and their third against the Aussies.
Australia has never defeated India in a U19 World Cup final. If India manages to topple Australia, they will win the title for the sixth time, while Australia will win it for the fourth time.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, Ashwin said that many people have already termed Uday the ‘Find of the Tournament’. But the spin veteran feels that it is his composure that is more impressive, comparing it to rising Indian star Rinku Singh, who is doing well as a finisher for the senior team.
“This World Cup, many people are already calling him (Uday Saharan) the find of the World Cup; he is the first captain to be the highest run-getter of the team. It is not about the runs; it is about the match-winning ability of Uday Saharan that impresses me, it is the composure with which he plays,” said Ashwin.
“Something just like Rinku Singh, which I told recently. It cannot be bought with money. Uday Saharan has that ingrained in him. He has a quite assurance. He has a calm, composed and confident nature,” Ashwin added.
Uday is the top run-maker in the U19 World Cup, with 389 runs in six matches at an average of 64.83, with a century and three fifties. His best score is 100.
Saharan’s stature has grown as the tournament has proceeded, with his match-winning 81 in the semi-final against South Africa playing a critical role in his team’s advancement to the final. With the team struggling at 32/4, it was his double-century partnership with Sachin Dhas that guided India to the 245-run target.
Saharan also scored a century in India’s Super Sixes match against Nepal, and he has been able to adapt his style of play to the situations he has encountered during the tournament. The final match between India and Australia will kick off at 1:30 PM IST.
Australia U19 Squad: Harry Dixon, Sam Konstas, Hugh Weibgen (C), Harjas Singh, Ryan Hicks (Wk), Oliver Peake, Tom Campbell, Raf MacMillan, Tom Straker, Mahli Beardman, Callum Vidler, Lachlan Aitken, Charlie Anderson, Harkirat Bajwa, Corey Wasley, Aidan O Connor.
India U19 Squad: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (C), Priyanshu Moliya, Sachin Dhas, Aravelly Avanish (Wk), Murugan Abhishek, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari, Saumy Pandey, Aaradhya Shukla, Ansh Gosai, Dhanush Gowda, Rudra Patel, Prem Devkar, Mohamed Amaan, Innesh Mahajan.
